Got a new Phantom 2 non vision. Reading up on FPV help.

[s2kboy]

Alright guys I've been reading about these phantoms since the first one came out just took the plunge and ordered one with a gimbal through dronefly. I currently have a garmin gps tracker in case of flyaways on order. I am having trouble with the FPV gear, mainly wondering why are people using the DJI ALV58 vs. Immersion RC 600mw TX?

DJI TX is heavier (39g) and has an active Fan while the ImmersionRC 600mW is passive and lighter (18g).

According to this post the DJI hardware is using outdated tech..? So combined with being heavier, drawing more power and having less mw compared to the Immersionrc... wouldn't it be a better idea to use the Immersion tx?

My setup I've compiled so far

Dji Mini iosd
Immersioncrc 600mw or Dji Alv58 ? Undecided
Screen vs googles ? - I am leaning towards a screen.. is it better to get one with a built in battery as oppose to external battery are the built in receivers worse then a external receiver? The immersion unit is suggested to be paired up with UNO5800v2 receiver which seems to be rather pricy... is this needed for optimal range?

Another thing I noticed is

Video of a similar setup - this is not my video

http://vimeo.com/83964915


Reference I got from another site which trigger my search into the Immersion units, with quoted text and a link to the discussion.

The dji/boscam uses inferior tech (nexwave), draws more power, is heavier (it has a fan!), and has less power for for same mah. I don't see how boscam is equivalent or even close. Weight itself is huge.

DJI AVL58 uses older BOSCAM-E 5,8GHz RX/TX while the ImmersionRC uses the newer Nexwave which supposedly have better performance and efficiency. Also ImmersionRC RX has better sensitivity (more range at the same power).

About power consumption, DJI AVL58 500mW TX is rated at 575mA while the Immersion RC 600mW is rated at 300mA.

Weight-wise DJI TX is heavier (39g) and has an active Fan while the ImmersionRC 600mW is passive and lighter (18g)."

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthre ... 0&page=162

 

[s2kboy]

Am I missing something? No response? Going to read into this a bit more once I get off work.

 

[ladykate]

If you want to bump this up a couple of times, that is fine. I'm interested in the topic since I'm considering an FPV setup (not sure about iOSD right now). Mostly I want to be sure the pass I'm recording is what I want (my subject may not always be in the same position so doing it right the first time might be important). I have a P2 with Zenmuse arriving today...

The DJI solution is easy but I understand the issue with the other. However, I also tie my preferences to general availability and the immersionrc isn't as clear as it could be for hookup to the P2.

 

[s2kboy]

If you want to bump this up a couple of times, that is fine. I'm interested in the topic since I'm considering an FPV setup (not sure about iOSD right now). Mostly I want to be sure the pass I'm recording is what I want (my subject may not always be in the same position so doing it right the first time might be important). I have a P2 with Zenmuse arriving today...

The DJI solution is easy but I understand the issue with the other. However, I also tie my preferences to general availability and the immersionrc isn't as clear as it could be for hookup to the P2.

It's pretty simple soon it probably will be easier then the dji setup since people are staring to make plug and play cables for them. Check this video and links below it.

http://vimeo.com/82325586

 

[visi0n]

Hey guy,

I went with the 250mw Fatshark on my Phantom 2 / non-vision
http://www.helidirect.com/fatshark-250m ... -31974.hdx

I went with it mostly, because I had a spare that came with some Attitude V2's.
It tucked in nicely on the rear of the zenmuse with super-sticky double side tape and I use these cloverleaf's:
http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index. ... ts_id=1255

I think one consideration on the 600mw immersion is that it will pull more juice than, say the 250mw couterpart. I can keep a display out into my safe limits with the 8fg futaba, with this setup and it doesn't hork all the battery pushing the 600mw tx.

That being said the 600mw is supposedly smart enough to vary its power. I only know what I've used, I've been happy with the fatshark 250mw's.

I use attitude's for goggles and this field monitor with integrated receiver for a monitor:

http://www.profotouav.com/product/lilli ... ack-sheep/

That monitor works really well, I actually prefer it over the goggle's, just b/c I have more experience on the monitor.
They make one for TBS frequencies and for Immersion/Fatshark Frequencies. The receiver is all internal, which makes it all wire-less and nice.

Be warned, It has some sort of janky DSLR battery on the back and 45 minutes of fpv will kill that battery, so get some spares

As for how to use the Fatsharks on the phantom 2... these blokes sell a plug and play cord: http://www.firstpersonview.co.uk/cables ... tter-cable

or.. you can just splice into the cord that dangling from your phantom 2's belly. The wiring pinout is discussed in the manual. It's really straightforward. Just battery + /- and a single video out spliced into the two connectors on the fatshark and you're off to the races.
I'm getting 20+ minute flights with the Zenmuse H2-3D and this 250mw tx. It has me yelling at my F550 asking "Why can't you stay in the air for that long??"



Happy FPVing..

 

[freyjoel]

My advice is don't skimp on getting an iosd. It has saved me plenty of times and it is extremely comforting to be 1km out (and know your are 1km out because it says so) and know exactly how much battery you have remaining. Also, it is easier than you think to lose your orientation when you are that far away. The iosd makes it so easy to locate the proper heading back home without having to flip the home lock switch and hope it works. I can't imagine flying without it.

 

[Ozon8r]

Can't speak for dji vTx but 2 thumbs up for fatshark attitude v2 250mw tx and spironet antennas. I have reached 1600m with good video. I have read where people our out 2+ km.

Goggles are great when it's bright out. I am considering a monitor for co pilot and recording with osd data, which is a must btw.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[goldfishrock]

I spent ages researching this. In the end I went for the ImmersionRC 600mw and the IOSD Mini and it all works beautifully. You're right that the DJI vTX is running on outdated tech and is a lot heavier than the ImmersionRC on account of it having a fan and case. I just used some good quality foam tape and attached the IRC to the bottom of the P2 and the IOSD Mini right next to it. I've not noticed any additional drain to the battery... it's power draw is minimal.

At the moment I am using a 7" Diversity Monitor that has the receiver built in. I went for that over goggles as I want to fly it by eye rather than FPV. The FPV was more for framing camera shots etc. Having the telemetry back from the IOSD is invaluable though.... especially when you are flying so far / high that you can't see the orientation of the P2. Worth every penny.

You won't be disappointed with the ImmersionRC / IOSD Mini combo, they work well and are easy to wire.

http://www.phantompilots.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=6290

 

[s2kboy]

I spent ages researching this. In the end I went for the ImmersionRC 600mw and the IOSD Mini and it all works beautifully. You're right that the DJI vTX is running on outdated tech and is a lot heavier than the ImmersionRC on account of it having a fan and case. I just used some good quality foam tape and attached the IRC to the bottom of the P2 and the IOSD Mini right next to it. I've not noticed any additional drain to the battery... it's power draw is minimal.

At the moment I am using a 7" Diversity Monitor that has the receiver built in. I went for that over goggles as I want to fly it by eye rather than FPV. The FPV was more for framing camera shots etc. Having the telemetry back from the IOSD is invaluable though.... especially when you are flying so far / high that you can't see the orientation of the P2. Worth every penny.

You won't be disappointed with the ImmersionRC / IOSD Mini combo, they work well and are easy to wire.

http://www.phantompilots.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=6290

Thats awesome, going to fab up all my cables using the connectors thanks again!

 

[s2kboy]

Ok decided on the following components so far still on the fence about the receiver would like to get something with the nextwave technology going to build this slowely sourcing the right parts out.

DJI IOSD MINI
5.8Ghz Blue Beam Ultra Antenna Set RHCP
ImmersionRC 600mW

Still Need recommendations on
Display - Going with a screen should I get something with a built in receiver? Would this be as good as a separate receiver with nextwave?
Need a good mount for the DJI phantom remote to mount the screen on

 

[ianwood]

I went with the 250mw Fatshark on my Phantom 2 / non-vision
http://www.helidirect.com/fatshark-250m ... -31974.hdx

That being said the 600mw is supposedly smart enough to vary its power. I only know what I've used, I've been happy with the fatshark 250mw's.

---

I use attitude's for goggles and this field monitor with integrated receiver for a monitor:

http://www.profotouav.com/product/lilli ... ack-sheep/

That monitor works really well, I actually prefer it over the goggle's, just b/c I have more experience on the monitor.
They make one for TBS frequencies and for Immersion/Fatshark Frequencies. The receiver is all internal, which makes it all wire-less and nice.

So, it looks the 600mW Immersion RC doesn't work nicely with the Lilliput 664/w screen (FatShark / Immersion RC model) despite being the same exact frequencies and labeled as a FatShark / Immersion RC model by most every vendor! Ask me how I know!

I can't confirm it 100% but so far I get horrible range, banding, loss of horizontal sync, etc. That and the 600mW is consuming at least 3 or more minutes of flight time which seems a lot. Wiring is clean and good. Ordering a 250mW FatShark TX and if that works as expected, that'll confirm it. Glad to see that combo is working for you.

The Lilliput is expensive but you get what you pay for. Bright, clear picture, well made. It's 720p with an HDMI input, camera shoe mount, case, safe zone markers, etc. which makes it a great field monitor for filming on the ground too. And yeah, the batteries don't last very long. Screens that size eat a lot of juice. It supports a couple battery types and most are dirt cheap.

As for the 600mW unit being smart enough to vary its power, I don't see how that would be possible. How would it know its distance to the RX?